Mets NL East Sunday Battleground: Offseason recap and grades

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Mar 17, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) during a spring training game between the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Mets have improved greatly and still might not make the playoffs. That is because of the division they are in. The National League East projects to be one of, if not the toughest division in baseball this season. Legitimate cases for postseason contention can be made for each of the five teams in the division.

While the N.L. East only had two playoff teams in the Braves and the Marlins, all five teams were talented. If every team was healthy, I bet more than two teams from the division make the playoffs.

The scary thing about this division is it improved.

Arguments can be made that all five teams got better. The Braves might have been the clear-cut best team in the division last year and the last three years, but this year I would not be shocked at all if there was a new division champion.

The Marlins were doubted last season, had a massive Covid outbreak and still made the playoffs. You never truly know in this division, and I expect a ton of chaos this season.

New York Mets

Notable Additions: OF Albert Almora Jr., RP Jacob Barnes, SP Carlos Carrasco, RP Tommy Hunter, OF Khalil Lee, SS Francisco Lindor, RP Aaron Loup, SP Joey Lucchesi, OF Jose Martinez, RP Trevor May, C James McCann, OF Kevin Pillar, OF Mallex Smith, SP Marcus Stroman, INF/OF Jonathan Villar, SP Taijuan Walker, SP Jordan Yamamoto.

Notable Subtractions: RP Brad Brach (KC), C Robinson Chirinos (NYY), 3B Todd Frazier (PIT), SS Andres Gimenez (CLE), RP Jared Hughes (Retired), OF Jake Marisnick (CHC), SP Steven Matz (TOR), SP Rick Porcello (FA), C Wilson Ramos (DET), SS Amed Rosario (CLE), C Ali Sanchez (STL), RP Chasen Shreve (PIT), SP Michael Wacha (TB), RP Justin Wilson (NYY).

Under new ownership and management, the Mets seem like they are finally getting back on track. They have an owner who only cares about winning, and experienced baseball guys to help get the roster back in shape after Brodie Van Wagenen messed a lot of it up.

The Mets already had one of the best lineups in all of baseball headlined by guys like Pete Alonso, Dom Smith, Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, and Jeff McNeil. They added to this lineup by trading for the best shortstop in baseball Francisco Lindor. His bat and especially his glove will be massive additions for this Mets team that went 26-34 last season.

Acquiring a top ten caliber player like Francisco Lindor makes your offseason a success already, but the Mets improved in many other ways as well.

The first move they made was signing James McCann to a four-year $40 million-dollar contract. The catcher spot has been brutal for years in Flushing so the Mets went out and got a really good catcher. While he is not the best catcher in baseball, he certainly is an upgrade over Wilson Ramos and will get the job done.

The next biggest need this team had was starting pitching. In the Lindor trade, the Mets also acquired Carlos Carrasco. While he is set to miss the first month or two of the regular season after a hamstring injury, once he comes back he will provide a huge boost for this Mets team. He has been one of the more underrated pitchers in the game for a while and will slot in nicely behind Jacob deGrom in this Mets rotation.

The Mets also brought back Marcus Stroman after he accepted the Qualifying Offer. After opting out of the 2020 season, Stroman will look to prove himself again as he is in a contract year. He is another big boost to a rotation that had Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha, and Steven Matz in it last season.

The Mets then added Taijuan Walker, another boost to this rotation that should be very helpful. While he hasn’t been durable in his career, Walker is coming off of a really good 2020 with Seattle and Toronto. If he stays healthy, he should pitch well.

The Mets will get Carrasco and Syndergaard back a couple of months into the season, and when that happens they will have one of the best rotations in all of baseball. They also have depth. Guys like David Peterson, Joey Lucchesi, and Jordan Yamamoto can step up if need be and be solid options at the back end of the rotation.

The Mets improved their bullpen as well, signing Trevor May to be a late-inning arm. May will likely pitch in the seventh or eighth innings of close games which was the role he excelled in while with the Twins. With Seth Lugo out for the first month of the season, he will be relied upon a ton to help protect leads and set up for Edwin Diaz.

To finish their offseason, the Mets improved their bench and added much-needed depth. Guys like Kevin Pillar, Jonathan Villar, and Albert Almora are perfect bench pieces and can step into an everyday role if need be.

The first offseason under Steve Cohen was a huge success and I am very excited for the 2021 season. The Mets should be competitive and I fully expect them to be a playoff team.

Grade: A

Atlanta Braves

Notable Additions: INF/OF Ehire Adrianza, OF Abraham Almonte, 3B Jake Lamb, SP Charlie Morton, OF Marcell Ozuna, SP Drew Smyly, RP Josh Tomlin.

Notable Subtractions: RP Jhoulys Chacin (NYY), INF Charlie Culberson (TEX), OF Adam Duvall (MIA), C Tyler Flowers (FA), SP Mike Foltynewicz (TEX), RP Shane Greene (FA), SP Cole Hamels (FA), INF Adeiny Hechavarria (FA), OF Nick Markakis (Retired), RP Mark Melancon (SD), RP Darren O’Day (NYY), SP Tommy Milone (FA).

The Braves have won three straight division titles and are well equipped to win their fourth straight this season. They will be led by reigning National League MVP Freddie Freeman who finally did what he’s done against the Mets his entire career against everyone else. They also have superstar outfielder Ronald Acuba Jr. who will help lead them in 2021.

They were up 3-1 in the NLCS against the Dodgers before losing in seven hard-fought games. They are well-positioned to get back to the postseason and maybe right their wrong but will attempt to do so looking a little bit different.

The Braves have a stacked lineup and really didn’t need to do too much to it other than maybe add a third baseman. Austin Riley is serviceable but I thought they might’ve been wise to go after someone like Justin Turner or maybe trade for Kris Bryant.

The Braves were very intent on keeping Marcell Ozuna and did on a four-year $65 million-dollar deal. Ozuna enjoyed a monster 2020 campaign with the Braves and has re-upped with the Braves. He is more suited to be a DH so unfortunately for them he has to play left field and hopefully not be too much of a liability there. His bat is crucial to their lineup so it was a good thing that he was brought back.

The other big move they made was signing Charlie Morton to a one-year $15 million-dollar deal. Morton is someone I was hoping the Mets might get their hands on, but he chose to go to Atlanta. While he was not at his best during the regular season in 2020 and battled injuries, Morton excelled in the postseason once again and got the Rays to the World Series.

For a team with a young rotation headlined by Max Fried and Mike Soroka, the addition of the veteran who has pitched extremely well in the biggest moments before will be huge for them.

Their rotation consisting of Fried, Soroka, Morton, Ian Anderson, and one of Drew Smyly or Kyle Wright should be very good.

While I love the Morton and Ozuna deals, I do not like the losses in the bullpen. One of their strengths last year was the bullpen. They lost their closer Mark Melancon and a really reliable arm in Darren O’Day. They do still have good arms like Will Smith and Chris Martin but their bullpen is not nearly as scary as it was last season.

Overall, I think bringing back Ozuna was key and Morton was a really good signing. If they improved third base or brought in a reliever I’d say the Braves are the clear favorite but I’m not sure I can say that right now. They’d be my pick to win the division but I expect the Mets to be right in the thick of it.

Grade: B

Miami Marlins

Notable Additions: RP Anthony Bass, RP Adam Cimber, RP John Curtiss, RP Ross Detwiler, OF Adam Duvall, RP Dylan Floro.

Notable Subtractions: C Francisco Cervelli (Retired), SP Robert Dugger (SEA), RP Brad Boxberger (MIL), OF Matt Joyce (PHI), RP Brandon Kintzler (PHI), RP Ryne Stanek (HOU), SP Jose Urena (DET), RP Stephen Tarpley (NYM), RP Nick Vincent (TEX), SP Jordan Yamamoto (NYM).

Who would have thought that the Marlins would even make the playoffs, let alone win a playoff series? The Marlins were one of the good stories in the 2020 season which probably wouldn’t have happened if a full 162 game season occurred.

While 2020 was a great story, the Marlins know they are still in rebuilding mode and didn’t make any huge moves to jeopardize what they are building.

I love the Adam Duvall signing a lot for the Marlins. He can play a corner outfield spot and provide some much-needed power. The Marlins were 25th in all of baseball in home runs and play in a massive ballpark. Duvall hit 16 home runs in the shortened season, which puts him on pace for 43 home runs in a 162-game season. While I’m sure he won’t hit that number playing a majority of his games at Marlins Park, he has had two 30+ home run seasons in the past and will provide a big boost for a pretty weak lineup.

The Marlins’ biggest strength is their pitching. They have a young solid rotation headlined by Sandy Alcantara, Sixto Sanchez, and Pablo Lopez that should only get better. Their bullpen has some solid arms as well like Anthony Bass, Yimi Garcia, and John Curtiss who was a pretty big part of the Rays bullpen.

The one loss they shouldn’t have let get away was Brandon Kintzler. Yes, he is 36 years old but is coming off of a really good year and only got a one-year $3 million-dollar deal. The Marlins could’ve accepted his team option for only $1 million dollars more. Without Kintzler I doubt they make the playoffs as he had 12 saves in 14 tries while posting a 2.22 ERA in 24 appearances. I’m sure the production will tail off a tad but he won’t go from being that good to someone who is not worth $3 million dollars.

The Marlins are a small market team in a brutal division. They know their time is not now to go all in and didn’t try to make a move that would jeopardize anything they do in the future.

While I don’t expect the Marlins to be a playoff team, they are no longer the pushover they were for years. They should be a tough out for all four other teams in the division.

They were never going to make a splash in the free agency market but they did so in their front office, hiring the first female MLB General Manager. That was an excellent hire by the Marlins and one that will bump their grade up a bit.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia Phillies

Notable Additions: RP Jose Alvarado, SP Chase Anderson, RP Archie Bradley, SS Didi Gregorius, OF Matt Joyce, RP Brandon Kintzler, C Jeff Mathis, INF/OF Brad Miller, SP Matt Moore, C J.T. Realmuto, RP Tony Watson.

Notable Subtractions: RP Jose Alvarez (SF), SP Jake Arrieta (CHC), OF Jay Bruce (NYY), INF/OF Phil Gosselin (LAA), RP Heath Hembree (CLE), RP Tommy Hunter (NYM), RP Adam Morgan (CHC), RP David Phelps (TOR), RP Brandon Workman (CHC).

The Phillies had one thing they had to do to have any sort of shot at relevance for the 2021 season and that was re-sign the best catcher in baseball J.T. Realmuto. If they did not pay him after trading away Sixto Sanchez for him, Bryce Harper and all of Philadelphia would’ve been very upset.

To do that, the Phillies had to hire Dave Dombrowski to be their next President of Baseball Operations for the Phillies who was able to talk some sense into owner John Middleton and eventually Realmuto and the Phillies came to terms on a five-year $115.5 million-dollar deal.

Other than re-signing Realmuto, the Phillies didn’t make any big splash. They had one of the worst bullpens in Major League history last season and didn’t really improve it all that much. They did sign major league caliber arms like Archie Bradley, Jose Alvarado, and Brandon Kintzler, but they didn’t go out and get a Brad Hand or Liam Hendriks who have both been dominant for years.

I do expect the Phillies bullpen to be better, but not good enough to make them get where they want to be. I’m a believer in having a serviceable bullpen. It doesn’t have to be the best, but it at least has to have a closer you can rely upon. Hector Neris, Archie Bradley, Brandon Kintzler, whoever they choose just doesn’t fit the bill for me.

Another weakness I believe the Phillies have and failed to address was the back end of the rotation. Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler at the front are very solid. They signed Matt Moore and Chase Anderson to compete for rotation spots with Zach Eflin, Spencer Howard, and Vince Velasquez. That’s not great.

The 2019 Nationals won the World Series with a bad bullpen but they had a couple of relievers they could rely upon and a dominant rotation. Outside of the first two starters, I’m not seeing any of that.

The saving grace of this Phillies team is their lineup. From top to bottom it should be among the best in baseball led by Bryce Harper and Realmuto. They also have young stud Alec Bohm and a returning Didi Gregorius who should provide boosts to the lineup.

The Phillies did make some improvements to their pitching and their depth but they weren’t big enough moves to get me really excited about their offseason. I expect them to have a similar record to what they’ve had in the last couple of years until they really improve their pitching.

Grade: C

Washington Nationals

Notable Additions: C Alex Avila, RP Luis Avilan, 1B Josh Bell, RP Brad Hand, 2B Josh Harrison, SP Jon Lester, OF Gerardo Parra, OF Kyle Schwarber, 1B Ryan Zimmerman.

Notable Subtractions: INF Asdrubal Cabrera (ARI), RP Sean Doolittle (CIN), OF Adam Eaton (CWS), INF Howie Kendrick (Retired), SP Anibal Sanchez (FA), C Kurt Suzuki (LAA), OF Michael A. Taylor (KC), 1B/OF Eric Thames (FA)

The 2019 World Series champs had a rough 2020 season going just 26-34, tied with the Mets for last place in the division. They battled through a lot of injuries and underwhelming performances.

The Nationals intend to compete in 2021 and that is shown by their offseason moves. They acquired a good bounce-back candidate in Josh Bell who if right, can be a really solid middle-of-the-order bat for them. He slashed .277/.367/.569 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI for the Pirates and was an all-star in 2019, the last full season. I expect him to do well, even if he’s not quite that good.

They signed a really good reliever in Brad Hand to a one-year $10.5 million-dollar deal to be their new closer. After Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson both struggled last season, that was a needed pickup.

They replaced Adam Eaton with Kyle Schwarber, a guy who can provide some more pop in their lineup. They also replaced Anibal Sanchez with Jon Lester, which looks like an upgrade as well.

In order for the Nats to compete, they will need their main guys to be healthy and produce. Stephen Strasburg pitched just five innings in 2020 and is already injured in Spring Training. Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin are coming off of down years, the Nats really need them to find their old form.

Mets grades for the 2020-2021 offseason. Next

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I think this team should be good and I liked their offseason additions. They just play in a really tough division so it’s hard to say they are a sure playoff team, but they look to be close to it.

Grade: B+

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